Urum Enasa
Urum Enasa was once the most powerful civilization in the hierarchy, serving as the leaders of humanity for almost 400,000 years. During their time as High Urum, they ushered in the age of interstellar colonization, exploring and settling hundreds of planets throughout the local galaxy. Many people consider their period of leadership to be humanity's "golden age." They gradually began to suffer from economic woes and mismanagement, resulting in a slow period of decline. They were ousted from power in cycle 125, and were demoted to the rank of ruling urum. At present, they are the weakest of the ruling urums, though their influence and cultural legacy is unequaled. Culture The Ildum The people of Urum Enasa have no dedicated state government -- instead, citizens are organized into immensely powerful labor syndicates known as the ildum (term both singular and plural). Each ildum is dedicated to a specific industry: agriculture, medicine, science, military, manufacturing, etc. An ildum will offer specialized education and training to its members, making them an expert in their field. As a result, citizens of Urum Enasa receive almost unparalleled career training, but this comes at the expensive of a more "general" education. An ildum is divided into smaller, local branches -- one for each planet. Representatives from all planetary branches assemble together to form one ildum's administration. From that administration, a minister is elected by their peers. This minister meets with the leaders of other ildum to keep the overall economy organized and efficient. The Ildum Administration also passes laws to ensure the safety and prosperity of workers, and to ensure that business is always conducted fairly. No single ildum is more powerful than the other. This is because all forms of industry are interconnected and interdependent. There is no special "prestige" associated with specific ildum. A warrior is just as respected as a farmer, and a waste management technician is just as respected as a scientist. Children are taught that all workers are necessary and important. In exchange for labor, each ildum provides its workers with housing and food, along with credits for personal luxuries. Luxury credits are rationed to prevent the formation of social classes -- preventing any one group of workers from being "richer" than another. While people from other urums might find the lifestyle limiting, the Enasa are seldom left wanting and claim to enjoy the focus of specific, guaranteed careers. The Council of Judges While the Ildum Administration handles most aspects of day-to-day governance, a higher judicial branch exists to resolve disputes. The Council of Judges, each member with a lifetime of legal experience, ensures that the Administration is acting within the law at all times. They also handle top-level criminal cases and investigate charges of corruption. Certain measures voted on by the Administration -- such as declarations of war -- must be confirmed by the Council. The Council is the final say in Enasa justice, and its members -- while not officially the "rulers" of Urum Enasa -- are usually viewed as such. Education Children are given general education until they reach maturity. Childhood educational programs are run by the ''childhood development ildum, ''which is dedicated to most aspects of child-rearing -- from education to counseling to pediatrics. Because all aspects of childhood development are handled by a single ildum, children are given a thorough and holistic education. At the conclusion of general education, students are tested to determine their ideal careers. They are given a list of compatible and available jobs, and they choose one from the list. This gives each student a guaranteed job once they leave primary education. Once students pick a career, they join that job's associated ildum (example: someone who wishes to be a neurosurgeon will join the medical ildum). They continue their education with that ildum, receiving specialized training and experience. Each citizen becomes a highly skilled specialist in their field. Education never truly stops in Urum Enasa -- an ildum provides its workers with continual training until their retirement. Unemployment does not exist in Urum Enasa. It is mandatory that all citizens have a career. If one ildum must conduct layoffs due to dwindling business, workers are reallocated to different careers. Even citizens who have gone to prison will still work while incarcerated, but they receive no payment for their efforts. Politics As a rule, the Enasa seldom discuss politics. The Enasa hate bureaucracy and professional politicians. Their primary "political" revolve around their careers and job necessities. So long as all workers are treated well by their ildum, most citizens rarely involve themselves in civic governing. There are few rules regarding what one does in their private life, so the Enasa are socially liberal and tend to mind their own business. There are few restrictions on what can be purchased by citizens. Most drugs and firearms are fully legal. Military The military is split into multiple interdependent ildums. These include: firearm manufacturing, armored vehicle manufacturing, armada construction, strike craft manufacturing, logistic operations, and combat operations (which accounts for active military personnel). These ildums work together to conduct military operations. Combat operations is further divided into the traditional military branches -- infantry, strike craft, and armada. Urum Enasa once possessed the largest, best trained armada in the entire hierarchy. No one would have dared challenged them at the time. Currently, the Enasa own the sixth largest armada. Most vessels are remnants from the glory days, but they've been well maintained by experienced crews and can stick pack a punch against even never warships. Enasa officers have received expert training from seasoned veterans and have access to an unrivaled library of armada information. The Enasa have never put much emphasis on their ground forces, but their infantry is especially skilled when fighting in space -- specifically when it comes to boarding and seizing enemy vessels. Operating in a vacuum tends to disorient people from other urums, but the Enasa have always felt more at home in space. Elite teams of Enasa soldiers can storm a warship's CIC and take over command of the vessel in a matter of minutes -- an act usually followed by opening airlocks and venting the oxygen out of every other part of the ship in order to prevent the crew from taking back command. Gender Roles The Enasa -- who praise efficiency above all else -- judge each individual by their talents. Gender alone is never a factor in career selection. Workers are only judged on their ability to execute assigned tasks. This equality extends to courtship and domestic arrangements as well. Couples form bonds based on friendship and natural chemistry. Men are not responsible for pursuing and "wooing" their partners. Women are encouraged to be assertive and forthcoming. Because of this, most aspects of a romantic relationship are fairly equal. Marriage and Family Marriage, in the traditional contractual sense, doesn't exist in Urum Enasa. Instead, couples simply live together for as long as they see fit. Most relationships in Urum Enasa are monogamous pairings, and children are raised in the home until they reach maturity. However, polygamy and polyandry are also commonplace. The Enasa praise skill and natural talent. As a result, extremely skilled experts are considered immensely attractive -- especially when it comes to breeding. Gifted individuals may have multiple partners and have children with all of them. This promotes the passage of "desired" genes. Likewise, workers who don't display much talent or intelligence often have difficulty finding longterm partners. With the Enasa's devotion to continual education and efficiency, shortcomings are seen as unappealing hindrances. In this sense, Urum Enasa could be classified as having a "passive eugenics" mentality. There are no laws restricting who can have children, but social norms and cultural dispositions effectively regulate the passage of genes to the next generation. Category:Urums